The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently published a position paper to address their view of the pharmacist’s role in patient care.
It addresses issues related to pharmacists’ expanded scope of practice, collaborative practice agreements, and prescriptive authority. Do you think AAFP’s position is consistent with the vision within the pharmacy profession? Read the full position paper here.
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In a discussion with several
In a discussion with several practitioners – both pharmacists and physicians, my co-resident and I attempted to write a response to this paper. Most of the position paper makes sense in that the addition of pharmacists into the primary care team can enhance patient care. One aspect that they may have mistaken is the education and training required for clinical practices – they failed to mention post-graduate training such as residencies and fellowships. Much of the education of a pharmacist aligns with the education of a physician. The paper also doesn’t address the need for collaboration with all health care professionals with increasing shortages of primary care providers in the United States. Finally, the part that bothered us the most was the fragmentation of care they described. When pharmacists are integrated properly into a healthcare team, we can provide a different perspective and access point in the care system. My co-resident put it the best: It is not about turf, and it is not about expanding roles; it is quite simply about improving access to quality care.